Master Yao Zongxun and the Development of Yiquan

By Lin Zhaolun & Cui Ruibin

I
Master Yao Zongxun (1917-1985), well-known martial artist of modern times, once
the advisor of Beijing Martial Arts Association and President of Beijing Yiquan
Research Institute, was the heir of Master Wang Xiangzhai, the founding master o
f Yiquan. He had mastered the essence of Master Wang's boxing skills, and accumu
lated the experience of several decades in real combats. On the basis of this, h
e widely absorbed the strong points of various boxing schools both home and abro
ad and integrated the research results of modern science into the development of
Yiquan. As a result, Yiquan was able to make successive breakthroughs and gradu
ally step towards perfection. Master Yao had played a great role in the developm
ent of Yiquan as well as in the history of Chinese martial arts.
With what he had learned from his teacher Master Wang Xiangzhai, Master Yao took
over the responsibility to develop national fist arts. He dedicated all his lif
e into the research of fist arts and never surrendered when confronted with diff
iculties and hardships, while caring nothing about his personal gains. In the Cu
ltural Revolution, he was forced to move to Changping County in the west suburb
of Beijing . But the harsh life of breeding livestock on desolated hills was not
able to make him give up his lofty aspirations.
Though he was possessed of consummate skills, he didn't refuse to share with oth
ers. At any moment he was worried about whether Chinese martial arts, the nation
al treasure, could be carried forward and thus bring benefit to people. Though h
is life path was rough and bumpy all along, he had never forgotten to pass down
his skills to the next generation. In the harsh time during the Cultural Revolut
ion, more than once, he had told us in sincerity and earnestness, ¡°Since our countr
y is in trouble at present, you should press much harder to practice so as to ma
ster more theories and skills of boxing and understand more deeply about the the
oretic system of training and the methods of it. Therefore, once the country cal
ls for helps, we can send some qualified talents to serve the country as well to
carry forward the national treasure of martial arts.¡± At that time, Master Yao and
his whole family were still at loss about how to make a living, but what he was
concerned all the time was the problem about the cultivation of successor of Ch
inese martial arts. Such lofty spirit really fills one with awe and admiration.
Master Yao was rigorous in his scholarly pursuit and strict with his students. H
e never forgot to remind his students of the importance of moral quality in mart
ial arts. Repeatedly he admonished his students to learn to be a man before one
learns boxing, since the essence of fist arts was the crystallization of mind, w
ill, morality, knowledge, physique and skills. He was quite strict in choosing s
tudents, with a comprehensive view of every aspect. Among his students, there ar
e: Zhao Xuquan, Bai Jinjia, Zhang Hongcheng, Bo Jiacong, Cui Ruibin, Liu Pulei,
Wu Xiaonan, Lin Zhaolun, Peng Andi and his sons Yao Chengguang and Yao Chengrong
. He had been an example for his students throughout his life, which really puts
one gasping in admiration.
In January of 1985, unable to be cured, Master Yao left us forever. In the 6 th
anniversary of his departure, in order to reminisce about him, we wrote this art
icle as a consolation to his soul in the heaven.
Yiquan was founded by the great martial master Wang Xiangzhai in 1920s. During t
he period from 1940 to 1946, it was also called Dachengquan (All Achievement Box
ing).
Master Wang Xiangzhai was born in Shenxian County in Hebei Province . In the yea
rs during the reign of Emperor Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty, he learned Xingyiqua
n (shadow boxing) from Master Guo Yunshen, grasping all the essential points fro
m his teacher. Then, he traveled through both sides of the Yangtze River and met
many famous martial experts. With the exchange of views and skills with them, h
e greatly improved himself in boxing. In 1920s, the martial arts circle inclined
to a performance-oriented fad of dazzling and fancy movements with sets of so c
alled tactics and skills, but without practical use. In order to reveal its faul
t and explain the true essence of fist arts, on the basis of Xingyiquan, and wid
ely taking over the cream of various boxing schools such as Shaolin, Taiji, Bagu
a as well as from the theories of Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism and Medicine, M
aster Wang founded Yiquan (will boxing). The very name of Yiquan showed its emph
asis on the guiding role of one's mind in the boxing training.
Yiquan is mainly composed of Zhan Zhuang (standing post), Shi Li (testing force)
, Shi Sheng (testing voice), Zoubu (practice with steps), Fa Li (exerting force)
, Tuishou (pushing hands), Sanshou (free fight) and so on. It is divided into tw
o aspects: Jianshen (health cultivation) and Jiji (combat skills), without any f
ixed Taolu (sets of tactics and skills) or Zhaofa (methods). As the basic skill
in Yiquan, Zhan Zhuang is divided into Jianshen Zhuang and Jiji Zhuang. Througho
ut the training of Yiquan, to control the body and limbs through mental inductio
n is emphasized. By way of mental visualization, one seeks force in a non-force
situation, and slight movements in a non-movements circumstance. One should seek
movements in stillness, and one move would result in movements of every part. I
t is by this way that one is able to master the whole unit of training methods o
f Hunyun Li (universal force) and apply them into real combats.
In the summer of 1940, Master Wang Xiangzhai made a public announcement in the n
ewspaper Shibao that he welcomed any martial friends to come to his place to exc
hange views and skills with him, so as to promote and illustrate the true essenc
e of fist arts. For a period of time, visitors came one after another, including
some marital experts from Japan . But all of them were subdued by the excellent
boxing skills and profound theories on boxing.
Since it came into being in this world, with its unique training methods and exc
ellent skills in real combats, Yiquan has gained fame not only in the martial ar
ts circle in China, but also has expanded its influence in Japan, Taiwan, Hong K
ong, Southeast Asian countries and regions, as well as in Britain, US, Canada, S
weden, Australia and Argentina.
Among the many students of Master Wang, those most famous who were outstanding i
n Jiji were Zhao Daoxin, You Pengxi, Han Jiao, Pu Enfu, Zhang Entong, Zhao Fengy
ao and Yao Zongxun. Yao Zongxun was particularly favored by his teacher. From th
e mid 1930s, Yao had been a follower of Master Wang and never left him. He was t
he favorite student of Master Wang and was given the name ¡°Jixiang¡± (successor of Xian
g) which indicated that Yao would be the heir of Yiquan.
Master Yao was born in Hangzhou , but was sent to Beijing from his childhood. He
was a student in the Literature Department of Chinese University. When he was v
ery young, he had already had a special attachment towards Western sports activi
ties and Chinese traditional martial arts. At the age of 16, he came to Master H
ong Lianshun, a well-known boxing instructor in Beijing , to learn Tantui (kicki
ng) and internal boxing. Favored by Master Hong, he became his disciple. In the
autumn of 1937, Master Hong visited Master Wang Xiangzhai, and was defeated ever
y time in the three contests. Then, taking his students with him, including Yao
Zongxun, Hong came to Master Wang to learn Yiquan. Engrossed in grasping fist ar
ts, with industrious practice and profound study of boxing principles, it only t
ook three years for Yao to become one of the best students of Master Wang. In th
e summer of 1940, Master Wang put a notice on the newspaper to invite people to
come and exchange views and skills as well as make friends. In fact, it was Yao
Zongxun and his fellow students who received most visitors, without losing a sin
gle contest. Therefore, Yiquan was held highly by some friends in the martial ar
ts circle, and thus it was given the name ¡°Dachengquan¡± (All Achievement Boxing). At t
hat time, a famous martial artist of Xingyiquan named Wu Peiqing from Shanxi Pro
vince was also in Beijing . He was the most favored student of Li Fuzheng, an ou
tstanding disciple of Che Yizhai, a great master of Xingyiquan. It was said that
Master Guo Yunshen once had a match with his elder fellow disciple Master Che Y
izhai, and Guo was defeated. Later, after finishing his apprentice, Li Fuzhen ha
d a contest with his teacher Che Yizhai and Che lost the match. Therefore, as th
e favorite student of Li Fuzhen, Wu Peiqing believed that he had grasped all the
essence of Xingyiquan. On December 12 th , 1940, he claimed in Beijing 's Xinmi
n Post that his boxing was the orthodox school of Xingyiquan and he was willing
to exchange skills with fellow martial artists.
Under the instruction of Master Wang Xiangzhai, Yao Zongxun went to meet Wu Peiq
ing. Seeing that Yao was only a young student in his early twenties, Wu thought
he would certainly win the match. The sides agreed to have the contest in Wu's m
artial arts club¡ª Temple of the God of Fire in Chongwen Men in January of 1941.
On the day of the contest, Wu Peiqing also invited some 30 famous martial artist
s to come to liven up the circumstance. Among them were Xu Xiaoyu, associate pre
sident of Peking National Arts Club, Tang Fengting and Tang Fengtai, associate d
irectors of No.1 National Arts Association in Daxing County , Dong Ziying and Ha
o Jiashan, renowned martial experts and so on. On the contest spot, Xu Xiaoyu, t
he outstanding student of Gao Yunxiang, a well-known master of Xingyiquan, was c
hosen to be the temporary notary. Other present martial artists and Wu's student
s stood on the two sides of the hall to watch the contest.
After making a greeting towards each other, with a snake footstep, Wu immediatel
y jumped in front of Yao Zongxun like a flash lightening. Once his feet got ther
e, his hand punched out, a right upward punch hitting towards Yao 's jaw. Yet ju
st in a flashing second, warding off the other's right elbow with his left hand,
Yao had pointed his left palm lightly to Wu's forehead. His swiftness made his
movements almost the same time as Wu's. Frightened, Wu hurried to step back. It
was just like what was said in the illustration charter of boxing: ¡°if the opponent
doesn't move, I don't move either; if the opponent moves slightly, I should mov
e before him¡±. Since it was only an exchange of skills, a slight touch would be eno
ugh. Once touching the opponent's forehead lightly, Yao stopped immediately. It
was to indicate he had already been lenient and to wish the opponent to get a cl
ear idea about the gap between the two parties' actual strengths, so that a fier
ce fight would be avoided and no body would be hurt. However, Wu didn't take it
this way. He thought though Yao was very swift, he was not strong enough. Not co
nvinced, Wu immediately chopped his right arm towards the chest of Yao . At the
moment Wu's arm was about to get its target, Yao stepped slightly sideward and a
t the same time hit Wu's right arm with a Zuo Pianchui (left-inclined hammering)
. As if bumped into a spring, Wu's body soared into the sky and was thrown away
obliquely backward. Fortunately, caught by his students standing there, he didn'
t fall down to the ground. At this moment, Wu had already known his opponent was
possessed of a high level of martial skills and was not a person to be trifled
with. But having lost face before so many famous martial artists and his student
s, Wu was somehow shamed into anger. After that, again he quickly issued out a r
ight upwards punch directly towards Yao 's heart. Warding off the right elbow of
the opponent, Yao stretched out his right hand, intending to hit Wu's left rib
with a even hammering. When his hand was approaching, afraid to hurt the opponen
t badly, Yao had a second of hesitation. Just then, Wu had stepped away. But imm
ediately he flung himself towards Yao with his unique skill ¡°Jinji Qiasu¡± (a golden co
ck clutches the crop of a bird), aiming to clutch the throat of Yao . Seeing Wu
was so desperate and venomous, Yao knew he could not hesitate again. Hurriedly w
rapping Wu's right wrist in his left hand, Yao drew back his jaw, twisted his bo
dy to the left and exerted force from the whole body with a heavy right downward
s hammering. It hit Wu's face. With a thumping sound, Wu had already fallen to t
he ground, with blood spitting out and four teeth falling down, and fainted away
right then. Those present martial artists were stupefied. Having not seen clear
ly how Yao made his move, they saw Wu was already on the ground. A roar of ¡°Bravo!¡± wa
s burst out. Seeing Wu fall down, Yao quickly stooped down to help him up. Yet,
to everyone's surprise, seeing Wu was fallen down, Shan Xiangling, who was invit
ed by Wu Peiqing, jumped forward and sneaked a punch towards Yao 's head. Yao, w
ho was intending to support Wu, feeling the wind of fist coming towards himself,
instinctively stepped backward, with Shan's ¡°black punch¡± brushing pass the tip of hi
s nose, almost hitting it. Han Jiao, who was in company of Yao Zongxun, flied in
to a rage and flung himself forward and hit Shan's back with both hands. Shan wa
s thrown away to the wall one zhang (3.3 meters) away. At that moment, Wu's disc
iples were also about to stand out for a fight, and the atmosphere was very tens
e. Those present martial artists hurried to come out to make peace, and thus a f
ierce fight was avoided.
After the contest, when Master Wang was discussing with Yao Zongxun about how to
solve the remaining problems of this contest, he said, ¡°A martial contest is just
for the exchanges of skills, not to rob others of their life. Wu Peiqing shouldn
't have stricken a vicious blow. You should also pay attention to this in the fu
ture, with a proper restraint of your strength. This time, let's think of a way
to smooth the matter over.¡± Thus, to show sincerity, Xu Yusheng, in his capacity as
the president of Peking National Arts Club, was asked to give a banquet in Xinl
uchun Restaurant in Xidan Area. Wu Peiqing and some other ten established martia
l artists in Beijing were invited to the dinner. During the dinner, Wu Peiqing s
howed his admiration towards Yao 's excellent boxing skills and lofty moral qual
ity, and finally the two shook hands and become friends. After this incident, Xu
Xiaoyu, associate president of Peking National Arts Club led his son Xu Ruhai t
o Yao Zongxun to learn Yiquan under Yao 's instruction.
During the years between 1940 and 1948, representing his teacher to attend conte
sts, Yao Zongxun had successively defeated more than 80 famous martial artists b
oth home and abroad, such as Watanabe. These victories won him a heavy fame in t
he capital city and he was titled as a young martial master. In the exchange of
skills with other martial artists, Yao was polite and modest in attitude, calm a
nd unhurried in bearing, swift in movements, appropriate in the control of comba
t force, and excellent in skills. These qualities always filled visitors with pr
aises, awe and admirations. Many famous martial masters became close friends of
Master Yao Zongxun after having exchanged skills with him. This was not matched
by those who were merely daring and fond of fighting. After defeated, Watanabe,
a boxing expert as well as an expert of Tae Kwon Do, said with admiration from t
he bottom of his heart, ¡°Even a master of eight or night Dan can not win me so neat
and crisp.¡± Keniqi Takuike, a Japanese master of five Dan in Judo and four Dan in
Kendo, had been defeated by Master Wang Xiangzhai. After that, he began to learn
Yiquan, but was pointed to be under the instruction of Master Yao. Not convince
d, Takuike had contests with or sneaked attacks towards Master Yao for more than
twenty times, but was defeated every time. In the end he was completely convinc
ed and began to learn Yiquan from Yao wholeheartedly. When he went back to Japan
, he founded Taikiken, and was regarded the leading master of boxing.
Upright and honest, Master Yao detested all sorts of evil doings. In the mid 194
0s, in order to uphold justice and protect the good and kind, he was often engag
ed in conflicts with some local hooligan gangs. The stories about the movements,
in which he was the leader, of severely punishing Gao Yanwang and the gang name
d Thirty-six Friends were often told in Beijing at that time. On hearing the nam
e of Yao Zongxun, hooligans in Beijing were so afraid that they would flee away
immediately.
In all his life, Master Yao had attended martial contests and gave instructions
under his teacher's name, and he had won acclaim from his fellow students of Yiq
uan. Master Wang Xiangzhai once wrote a poem for the purpose of giving a new nam
e to Master Yao, an open action indicating that the latter would be the heir to
Yiquan in title and in reality. The main meaning of the poem goes like this:
I am ashamed that I have not attained the acme of boxing, and I could only exten
d my hopes to the next generation. Thus, I give student Yao the name Jixiang (su
ccessor of Xiang) to express this intention. He was poor and helpless in childho
od, and I just assume to be his parent. This son of mine was a scholar originall
y, but with a different bearing from normal bookworms. Broad-minded, bold and un
inhibited, he was one of the few elites among the entire world. Having such a st
udent as Yao , I know our great cause will not decline. I wish he would make fur
ther efforts to fulfill this dream of our motherland. I wish he would dedicate h
imself into this cause so that common people will benefit from his fist arts. I
wish more that he would possess such perseverance as to overcome a hundred hards
hips, holding persistently his lofty and noble aspirations. It is a secret pride
I take in him, and it is such hatred to see mediocre people mixed into outstand
ing ones, just as monsters sneaking into the group of dragons. I believe one wit
h such a lofty aspiration like my son is able to subdue a tiger, while more mode
st and amiable in disposition than a cat.
Up till then, Yao 's fame had been far-reaching. It was he who brought Yiquan in
to the arena of martial arts both home and abroad, and it was he who brought Yiq
uan into its prosperity.
Since the space is limited, the other half part of this article will be publishe
d next time. Its main content will be that on the basis of what he had taken ove
r from his teacher Master Wang, Master Yao Zongxun widely absorbed the strong po
ints of other boxing schools both home and abroad and carried forward Yiquan int
o a new age.

II
Though possessed of superb boxing skills and profound knowledge, Master Yao Zong
xun had never been contented with what he had. In more than fifty years, he had
persisted in diligent practice, had been stressing the importance of practice an
d had been dedicated in the probing research of fist arts. Plus his rich experie
nce in real combats, finally be came such an outstanding boxing master that is r
arely seen in modern times.
As for the research of fist arts, along with his unremitting down-to-earth effor
ts, Master Yao had all along believed in truth and science while detesting any a
bstruse theories. No one was able to impose influence on him in this respect. In
order to carry forward Yiquan into a bright prospect, Master Yao had devoted al
l his life and energy into Yiquan. He was very strict in selecting disciples. On
ly those both excellent in morality and learning and tested qualified after a lo
ng period's observation could be accepted by him. If anyone was found fond of fa
me and profit, he was reprimanded severely and no longer regarded as Yao 's stud
ent. Master Yao often told his students, ¡°Fist art is also a discipline of science.
If following the views of worldly mediocre people, one devoted oneself into see
king fame and profits by cheating others, the gain would be the mere benefit of
one person, while the loss would be the essence of fist art as well as one's dig
nity as a human being. That could never be the conduct of a scholar of martial a
rts.¡± Till now, I still clearly remember his words, ¡°It is for the achievement of a sc
holar or a fist artist rather than just a fighter that you strive so hard to lea
rn Yiquan.¡± Master Yao was rigorous in his scholarly pursuit and strict with his st
udents. During his teaching, he was able to teach in accordance with the student
s' aptitude and draw inferences about other cases from one instance. It was a he
uristic method he adopted, and more impressively, he never got tired with us. In
several decades, he had brought up many excellent Yiquan talents of the younger
 generation who are in all parts of the country. Any student who had been under
the instruction of Master Yao, apart from an in-depth understanding of the truth
of boxing, is possessed of a strong consciousness of boxing skills and is quite
powerful in real combats.
By incorporating the core of Chinese excellent fist art schools, the essence of
modern physical culture and sports and the boxing feature of both Oriental and W
estern fist arts into the training of Yiquan, Master Yao was able to achieve the
acme of perfection in boxing. By applying the theories of Confucianism, Buddhis
m, Taoism, modern sports, physiology, mechanics and neuro-medicine into the illu
stration of the book On Fist Art, he succeeded in scientifically explaining some
parts in it which were not easy to understand, as well as verifying these parts
with scientific methods. The sublime state of ¡°without expecting it, it comes; wit
hout knowing it, it is there¡± pointed out in On Fist Art was really hard to underst
and. Even a boxing master who had achieved such a state to some extent, he was n
ot able to express it clearly and scientifically with words. Therefore, vague wo
rds like ¡°slightly¡± ¡°miraculously¡± dazzled people's eyes and made them feel mysterious
nfathomable. Yet, Master Yao believed that ¡°the biological mechanism formed by phys
ical sports skills and capabilities is established on the basis of correct condi
tional reflex. And only with a wholesome central nervous system can correct cond
itional reflex be intensified constantly and finally achieve the state of automa
tion. It is by then can we say we have mastered a sports skill. The so-called ad
vanced sublime state mentioned in On Dachengquan is the state of automation in e
ssence. Therefore, it is not by mere movements of muscles can we master a sports
skill, we should pay more attention to the controlling effect of nerves and wil
l, so as to achieve the harmonious coordination between will and body movements,
which is called ¡°Zheng¡± (whole) in fist art. The so-called sublime state actually is
the harmonious coordination between mind, will and body, so that you can move as
you wish. That is what is called ¡°every part of the body is under the control of m
ind¡±. This scientifically explains how the sublime state in fist art is developed.¡±
Punching force is the goal of most boxing practitioners during their training. B
ut with a great cost of time and strength, some people are still not able to ach
ieve the punching force in true sense. While some people get some understanding
of it, but it is only a partial form which will not lead to fine and even punchi
ng force. Particularly, during the practice, these people's punching force would
appear void sometimes, which provides chances for the opponent. Of course, they
are far away from the state of ¡°the hand leaves traces every part it passes, witho
ut missing the smallest part. The whole body is vibrating. One move leads to mov
ement of every part and the arguing force of the whole body is just proper¡±. Actual
ly, Master Wang Xiangzhai had revealed the essence of punching force long before
, ¡°the mind arrives, then the will, then Qi, and then the force¡±. The training method
of punching force lies in the will. Based on this, Master Yao made a further exp
loration, ¡°The essence of punching force is decided by nerve's ability to control m
uscles and fibers. The stronger and the better this controlling ability is, the
more powerful the explosion, and the fuller and the more effective the punching
force. Since any movement of the muscles is under the control of nerves, while n
erves are directly influenced by mind and will, the controlling role of the mind
is the most important.¡± During the training of punching force in Yiquan, ¡°Yi¡± (will) is
the most prominent fact throughout the process. It has already broken away from
the traditional training of Taolu and has found its most scientific training met
hod, that is, to implement the principle of ¡°will¡± from beginning to the end in the tr
aining of Zhan Zhuang, Shi Li and Fa Li, so that one is able to release forces i
n stillness, or slight movements or even strong movements, just in line with the
rule of ¡°every part of the body acts like a spring¡±. Since this training method is cl
ear in purpose, correct in knowledge, scientific in method, its training effect
is far better than those with Taolu or Zhaofa. It is just because of the creativ
ity and rationality of Yiquan's training method that our forefathers were able t
o achieve the sublime state of ¡°no law is every law¡±.
During the training of Yiquan, how to carry out the function of ¡°mental induction a
nd mental visualization¡± and its function towards body movements? Master Yao had ac
cumulated rich experiences in this respect. Since the training of will in Yiquan
is not limited by time, place and space, it is easily coordinated, extensive an
d applicable, full of flexibility. What's more, it is able to integrate these fe
atures organically together so as to achieve the effect of wholeness. Therefore,
it is convenient for the instructor to teach in accordance with student's aptit
ude, while avoid the formulism or those so-called Taolu. During the training of
Yiquan, by incorporating the rational parts in both Oriental and Western boxing
and in Chinese Jiji with the original essence of Yiquan, Master Yao innovatively
developed the training method of Master Wang Xiangzhai. For example, the change
of the degree of tightness and of actual strength in punching force is displaye
d specifically and ingeniously in the training of punching sandbags and punching
cotton balls; while in the training of basic skills and Tuishou and Sanshou, pr
acticability is highlighted, which makes the training more like the real combats
; he also stressed the important role of swift and continuous punches and the co
mprehensive physical quality in combats in the modern sense.
Master Yao held that: apart from learning combat skills, a martial practitioner
should pay more attention to cultivate the potentials of one body, to explore th
e sports biological mechanism of human body, and to study ways conducive to long
evity. He inherited and developed Master Wang's Jianshen Zhuang and scored fruit
ful results in helping patients cure their diseases by teaching them to practice
Zhan Zhuang. His efforts received positive comments from technique workers in m
edicine circle and greatly enriched the therapeutic treatment of modern medicine
. Since it is simple and easy to learn, but effective in health cultivation and
disease treatment with no side effects, Yiquan's Zhan Zhuang gained popularity q
uickly. Now, it has been absorbed into most course books of physical treatments
as well as of Qigong. Meanwhile, it has also aroused great interest of some rese
arch workers in the field of ergonomics.
With the cooperation of Beijing Municipal Research Institute of Physical Science
, Master Yao conducted a systematic research on Yiquan and its training methods,
which greatly helped to popularize and improve Yiquan. With the joint efforts o
f Master Yao, the State Commission of Physical Culture and Sports and Beijing Mu
nicipal Commission of Physical Culture and Sports, the essential part of Yiquan'
s training methods was applied into the training of modern physical sports, such
as swimming, weight lifting, tract and field, shooting and football, and has be
en proved to be effective. For example, during the training of shooting, through
the application of Yiquan's principle of ¡°dilating the mental lever¡±, players were ab
le to directly connect the barrel in his hand with the bull's eye so as to incre
ase the percentage of hits. As a result, several players' skills were greatly im
proved and on the National Games they were among the top.
As a great master who carried forward Yiquan into a new age, Master Yao devoted
his late life into writing so as to pass down this unique fist art to the offspr
ing. His book Yiquan now has been published both in mainland and in Hong Kong .
Master Yao had made outstanding contributions to the development of Yiquan. If w
e say it was Master Wang Xiangzhai who founded Yiquan and thus opened a new path
for Chinese martial arts, then, we should say it was Master Yao Zongxun who car
ried forward Yiquan and built the great mansion of it. As the pride of Yiquan, b
oth Master Wang and Master Yao are great figures in the history of Chinese marti
al arts.
Up till now, Yiquan has formed a complete theoretical system and training system
of its own. It was on the basis of the combination of the essence of fist art a
nd the development of modern science that Yiquan gained its development and impr
ovement. At the same time, through constant getting rid of the obsolete and abso
rbing the new, Yiquan gradually steps towards a well-built discipline. As any ot
her divisions of science, from the very beginning, Yiquan has been treating itse
lf with a dialectical point of view. It will never stand still at what it has ga
ined and refuse to make further progress. Constant development and innovation is
the lifeblood for Yiquan. It has no other unique ways. As long as practitioners
could get a clear knowledge about the essence of fist art and practice with a p
roper training method, their skills would certainly be improved day by day, with
out a final limit. On the problem that Yiquan was once called Dachengquan (All A
chievement Boxing), Master Wang once instructed his students, ¡°There's no limit for
any martial arts. So, there's no sense in the name of Dacheng.¡± Thus, the name of
Yiquan was picked up again.
As an organic integration of various marital arts schools and many disciplines o
f science, Yiquan also plays a positive role in the development of these discipl
ines. The social value of Yiquan has far surpassed the field of fist art itself,
which point has aroused the attention of many learned men in the present era.
Unfortunately, while Yiquan is flourishing and developing, much more prosperous
than any period in its history, due to his overwork and fatal disease, Master le
ft us forever. His departure was not only a great loss to the cause of Yiquan, b
ut also a great loss to us¡ªwe lost our great teacher whom we would never forget in
our lifetime. Though he has passed away, Master Yao's contribution to the cause
of our national fist art is imprinted in our mind forever. With his lifetime dev
otion and achievements, as a great man of action and innovation with foresight a
nd sagacity, Master Yao Zongxun will be held in high esteem by numerous fist art
ists and boxing fans forever